Agriculture has always been an important part of Mauricio Urrutia’s life. Now, he uses the knowledge he learned in Chile to help farmers in the U.S.

Mr. Urrutia grew up on a farm in Chile. He had two older siblings and lived surrounded by a variety of animals and crops. At an early age, he grew accustomed to farm life and decided to work in agriculture. The first time he visited the U.S. was during an internship where he inspected Chilean fruit that was exported to the U.S.

After getting married and starting a family, Mr. Urrutia worked for a multinational company in Chile. The company offered him an opportunity to relocate to the U.S., and he accepted. He was given a few options for relocation, one of which being Minnesota. He visited Minnesota and instantly fell in love with the agriculture. It didn’t take Mauricio long to make his choice.

The initial plan was for Mr. Urrutia to work in U.S. for a few years and then move back to Chile. However, he found himself really enjoying his time in Minnesota. After a few years, Mauricio decided to make his relocation permanent. Currently, he works as a Site Leader for Dow AgroSciences. His team works to develop new varieties of corn and soybean for Minnesota’s farmers. Mr. Urrutia and his family live in Willmar, Minnesota.